Changes
by Ana Roth
Summary: Branches off Ch. 16 in NM. What if Bella made her decision before Jacob opened the door? What if Alice never went inside Charlie's house? What if Bella took Edward's advice to move on and be happy? Chap. titles make playlist. Jella.
1. Bella: Breathe Me

BELLA- Breathe Me

"_Wouldn't Edward, indifferent as he might be, want me to be as happy as possible under the circumstances? Wouldn't enough friendly emotion linger for him to want that much for me? I thought he would. He wouldn't begrudge me this: giving just a small bit of love he didn't want to my friend Jacob. After all, it wasn't the same love at all._

_Jake pressed his warm cheek against the top of my hair._

_If I turned my head to the side, if I pressed my lips against his bare shoulder…I knew without any doubt what would follow. It would be very easy. There would be no need for explanations tonight._

_But could I do it? Could I betray my absent heart to save my pathetic life?_

_And then, as clearly as if I were in immediate danger, Edward's velvet voice whispered in my ear._

_ "Be happy," he told me._

_I froze._

_Jacob felt me stiffen and released me automatically, reaching for the door. _

_Wait, I wanted to say. Just a minute. But I was still locked in place, listening to the echo of Edward's voice in my head."_

"Wait," I said, finding my own voice. My throat still burned from the salt, and it came out as a whisper. "Jacob, wait."

He turned to look at me expectantly, and I was once again struck by how he stuck with me even when I rejected him again and again.

"What's wrong?" he said.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him that I would never be able to love him, at least not as much as he deserved. He deserved so much more than what I could give him. I didn't think it was possible for me to ever be whole again and I would never be able to give him my heart completely.

But as I look up into his warm dark eyes, I knew I could try.

I took his hand and wove my fingers through his. He looked surprised by the show of affection. Then the corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile.

I had already been sitting so close to him on the drive home that it wasn't that far for me to close the remaining space between us. I hesitated when my face was just inches from his.

"Bella," he whispered, his warm breath gently brushing my face.

"Shut up, Jacob," I replied. I pressed my lips to his.

He responded immediately by crushing my body to his. I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to pull myself closer, if that was possible.

I wasn't fair. I was selfish. I would have to tell him everything. But I needed Jacob. I depended on him now, to hold me together and to keep me going. He was my own personal sun, and he had helped me though the darkest times. But what if he needed me to? What if he needed someone to care for, and someone to care for him? I could do that much, couldn't I?

He was holding me so close, his lips moving firmly against mine. I could feel how much he wanted this—needed it. And then, as he shifted to pull into his lap, I could feel his hands trembling.

"Jake," I said breathlessly, pulling away a little. I reached for his hand and held it between both of my own. I looked up at him, worried.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling. "You're not making me angry."

I reached up for him again, to pull that smile towards me, against my own.

But he sighed and I could feel him resisting my tug, although it must not have taken much effort on his part.

"What?" I asked, worried I had done something wrong.

He shook his head, staring out the rain-streaked windshield. "I must be the dumbest…"

He glanced down at me. "Bella, are you sure you really want to do this? I mean really, really want to?"

I nodded because I didn't think that I could come up with the right words to explain, not just yet. Everything was balanced so precariously on the edge. But I had already leapt off a cliff today; why not another one?

"Because," he continued, "if you regretted it later, I just don't know if…if I could forgive myself."

"Like I said before, Jacob," I replied, closing the space between us again, "shut up."

He laughed in his throat as his lips met mine. I could feel his hunger behind the kiss, and in the way his hands held me against him.

The rain picked up and beat furiously down on the roof of the truck. After a few minutes, Jacob pulled away and shot a frustrated glance out the window.

"You should probably get inside before this gets worse," he said. "You've spent enough time in the water today."

I frowned, but not about his joke. "Aren't you coming with me?" I said, confused.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to?"

I huffed, frustrated. "Jacob, really, how many times do I have to explain myself?"

He laughed. "If that was your way of explaining yourself, then as many times as possible please." He leaned down and kissed me quickly before reaching around me to snatch the sweater I had left on the seat earlier that morning. Then he opened the truck door.

"C'mon," he said, jumping out into the rain. I grinned and followed him. He held the sweater over my head as sprinted for the door. I fumbled with my keys and groaned as they slipped from my wet fingers. Jacob caught them before they could hit the ground and had the door open in a second. We dashed inside and slammed the door against the downpour. Jacob stood back and shook his head, showering the room with water droplets.

I winced and held up my hands to protect my face. "Ugh, wet dog," I teased.

He smiled ruefully.

"Let's get you some dry clothes," I said, heading for the stairs. "Maybe you can borrow something of Charlie's."

I didn't hear him follow me on the stairs, but when I got to the top he was right behind me.

"How do you do that?" I said, my curiosity spilling out before I could stop myself.

Jacob shrugged. "It's a werewolf thing."

I rolled my eyes and ducked into Charlie's room. I had just brought up a basket of clean laundry yesterday, and I was pretty sure there had been a pair of sweatpants in there.

There was slim chance they'd be long enough for Jake, but they were better than nothing.

I hunted out the pants from the bottom of the basket and returned to the hallway. Jacob stood in front of my door, waiting.

"Here," I said, tossing him the sweats. "The bathroom's right there, go ahead and change."

"Bella." His voice sounded different than when he'd spoke just a minute before; it was thicker now.

I felt the butterflies in my stomach again just from the way he looked at me. It was like his dark eyes could see through every one of the masks I tried to throw up in front of him. He didn't believe any of my lies.

He reached for me and I stepped towards him. He wrapped his arms around me, folding me into his warm embrace.

I had made my decision back in the truck. So why did I feel so nervous all of a sudden? I looked up into Jacob's eyes and my fears vanished. This was Jacob, my Jacob. We knew each other's secrets, and most of the time we knew what the other was thinking. And I knew exactly what he was thinking now.

He kissed me again, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize that instead of feeling empty and numb like I had expected, I felt warm and happy. There, in Jacob's arms, I felt loved. I knew Jacob could make me feel almost whole again.

We stumbled into my room and fell onto the bed. I was exhausted but when Jacob kissed me again I couldn't help but to kiss him back. I was feeling a little giddy about my revelation.

But as I lay in Jacob's arms, something tugged in the back of my mind. I tried to ignore the worried sensation it gave me, until I realized what I was forgetting.

"What about Charlie?" I said, pulling away from Jacob and sitting up.

"He's at the hospital," he replied, sitting up next to me.

The hospital. Guilt churned in my stomach as I remembered what had happened this morning. Poor Harry. I felt so bad for all the Clearwater's. I was glad Charlie was there, so he could comfort them somehow, and so they could comfort him.

I felt another wave of shame as I remember my reckless cliff dive. If I had been really hurt, like I almost was before Jacob rescued me…. I tried not to think about what might have happened.

I fell back against the pillows, completely exhausted even though I had slept some back at Jacob's. Sleep was pulling at me, like the currents that had dragged me beneath the waves, so disoriented I couldn't tell which way was up.

Jacob's warm fingers brushed a stray hair from my face. I opened my eyes to find him looking down at me.

"Bella," he said softly. "I want to tell you something."

I knew what he would say before the words came out of his mouth.

"I love you, Bella."

As I looked up at Jacob at saw how much he really meant it, I felt something stirring in my chest. For a second I thought it would be the familiar throbbing that always threatened to tear me apart. But it wasn't that; it was something else. It was like a balloon inflating in my stomach, a feeling that I hadn't felt in so long it took me a minute to recognize it for what it was. Happiness. The corners of my lips turned up into a small smile.

"I love you, Jacob."

It wasn't a lie. I did love Jacob. Even if I wasn't sure what that love meant, I did love Jacob.

He kissed me so suddenly it took my breath away. And then I realized that Jacob was feeling the same happiness that I was. The balloon in my stomach swelled.

I settled into Jacob's arms, my eyes already closed with fatigue. I felt content, more than I had in a long time, and safe. It seemed that with Jacob holding me together, I might not shatter into a million pieces.

In the back of my mind, stirring like a shadow in a brightly lit room, was a fragment of guilt that nothing to do with cliff diving and the Clearwater's but everything to do with the warm body lying next to me and the three words I had just spoken.


	2. Jacob: Jesus Christ

JACOB- Jesus Christ

I couldn't believe this. It was like any second I would wake up in my own bed, feeling stupid for hoping for something that would never happen.

I looked down at Bella, her eyes closed, peaceful. Hadn't I wanted this to happen for so long?

But Bella looked so small next to me, and so fragile. I felt like one wrong move would break her in half.

I thought of Emily and the guilt that consumed Sam whenever he thought about her.

If I ever hurt Bella, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

But she must have felt safe with me. Otherwise, she would stay away.

Who was I kidding? It's not like she had ever stayed away from dangerous things before. Why start now?

_Because she loves you,_ said a tiny voice in my head. Now I was hearing voices. Great. But Bella _had_ said she loved me. I hadn't been expecting that one. I thought maybe she was just saying it back because she thought she had to. But that smile…I hadn't seen her smile like that since before—

I was not going to start thinking about that bloodsucker, not while Bella was so close and so vulnerable. I would definitely lose it.

I shook my head, like that would get rid of the thoughts. Leave it to me to question a good thing when it falls into my lap. I should be insanely happy, not questioning Bella's motives or thinking of the best way to destroy the leech. I was being paranoid. I was afraid that Bella would shut me out again and all that had happened over the past few months would disappear. And I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with that. Because Bella meant way too much to me to just forget. Having to watch her struggle had been excruciating. So when she had come to me to ease her mind, it had been great, even if I knew that I was only a distraction. But now I knew that I meant more to her than that, and that was even better.

Or maybe she just had Stockholm syndrome.

I sighed. No matter what I told myself, there was always going to be that one part of my brain that wasn't buying it. And right now, that part wanted some attention.

It would be easy to accept that Bella didn't love me—it would suck, but it wouldn't be too hard. In fact, it might even make things simpler. Bella would know that I loved her, and I would know she didn't love me back, but at least we'd know where we stand. And as long as she was happy. Now, I can't stop doubting. Why? Why couldn't I believe that Bella loved me? What was so bad about me?

I was no Edward Cullen, that's what.

Ugh. What was so great about him anyway? I guess he could be considered attractive, if you were into the cold, pale thing. And you could tolerate the smell. Apparently, none of those bothered Bella. Huh. If I was the exact opposite of the leech, what could Bella find appealing about me?

Who was I kidding? Of course Bella wasn't so shallow that she only cared about looks. The bloodsucker must have had some redeeming quality, though I didn't plan on ever finding out what it was. That, and his leaving Bella here completely broken kind of cancelled it out.

Bella sighed in her sleep and shifted a little. I started, thinking for a minute that my rambling thoughts had been loud enough to wake her. Shut up, brain. She must have been exhausted after that stunt she pulled earlier. I wasn't exactly a stranger to exhaustion either. I tried to relax and push any thoughts of vampires out of my head. Instead, I thought of Bella's smile until it was the only thing in my head and I was finally able to fall asleep.


	3. Alice: Pioneer to the Falls

ALICE- Pioneer to the Falls

I could smell him as soon as the truck turned onto the street. I didn't know exactly what it was; it was familiar, as though I had smelled it a very long time ago, but couldn't remember where. It was disgusting.

I didn't know how Bella could sit in the small cab with him so close and not vomit.

Actually, it looked like they were getting closer. I was just far enough away that with the sound of the rain beating against the cars, I couldn't hear what they were saying. For that, I was glad. I was surprised they hadn't seen my car.

I watched as the boy wrapped his arms around Bella. She didn't seem to mind at first; in fact, it looked like she was enjoying it. But suddenly her body stiffened. The boy noticed, and released her. He reached for the door but stopped suddenly. He turned back towards Bella. I watched as she took one of hands with both of hers. And then she leaned slowly towards him and pressed her lips to his.

It was enough for me to see. I turned away and glared out the windshield at the rain. So Bella had moved on. Just as Edward would have wanted. I laughed.

That was a lie. Edward would not want Bella to move on, not really, no matter how much of a martyr act he put on, I could see right through it. Edward hoped, in some deep dark recess of his mind, that Bella would never move on, that she would always want him. He would never be willing to admit this, of course. He would wallow in his misery for the next few centuries.

I waited patiently as they continued to kiss and I tried not to watch as they sprinted through the rain to the house. And then they were gone.

The engine purred to life and I spun the car around on the empty street. I sped away, not at all worried about hydroplaning. Not in Carlisle's car.

I was halfway to the highway when it happened. The vision bloomed in my mind and I immediately focused on it, not paying attention to the road. It was Bella, curled up with the boy, gazing up at his face. "I love you, Jacob," she whispered.

Oh no. I swerved off to the side of the road, ignoring the furious honks of the car behind me. I put the car in neutral and rubbed my fingers against my temples furiously, as though I could get rid of the image that way. I knew better, though. I'd tried many times to get rid of certain visions, and never been successful.

I would never be able to hide this from Edward no matter how hard I focused on something else when I was around him. Eventually he would see. He said he wanted her to move on, but this…this would break his heart.

I snatched up the phone from the passenger seat.

"Jasper," I said as soon as he answered.

"Alice. What's wrong?"

"I saw Bella. She's alive. I don't know what happened, but she seems fine." More than fine. "Has Edward called yet?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Look, make sure no one tells him what happened. Tell Rose, especially. I…I don't want him to worry."

"Alice." Of course he knew I was lying to him.

"Please, Jasper."

"All right. When will you be home?"

"Soon," I promised. "I love you," I added before I hung up.

The vision of Bella and the boy played over again in my head. Bella was in love now, and Edward was alone and miserable somewhere in South America. The drive back to Alaska was going to be much too long for me to have to think about all that.

AN: So I know in the books Alice can't see Jacob in her visions…but this isn't the book, and I needed that to be a part of this story so I took a liberty.


	4. Bella: World At Large

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the support so far. Most of the chapters will be pretty short from here, but I'll try to post every couple of days. Keep reading! **

BELLA- The World At Large

It was dark when I woke. Jacob was breathing heavily beside me; his arm draped over my waist, his other beneath my head. I gently removed myself and got up. I glanced at the clock, relieved to see it wasn't too late. Charlie wasn't home yet. I pulled on some clothes and went downstairs to throw something together for dinner.

I didn't think about what had just happened. It sat in the back of my mind, clearly there, but not in the forefront. It was like when I forgot to do something but knew there was something I had to. Instead, I concentrated on dinner, rummaging through the cabinets to find cohesive ingredients. Once everything was chopped, mixed, and tossed into a casserole dish, I put it in the oven and went back upstairs.

I closed the door halfway so I wouldn't wake Jake when I turned on the faucet. I splashed some cool water on my face and took a few deep breaths.

The door creaked loudly as it swung in, only because he wanted it to, to give me warning. He peered his head around the door.

"Hey, Bells."

"Hey, Jake."

He came into the room and wrapped his arms around my waist. He tilted my chin up and opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a finger before he could.

"Please, not yet, Jacob."

I didn't even understand what I meant but, of course, Jacob did.

When Charlie came home, we were sitting on the couch. Jacob had his arm around my shoulder and I was holding his other hand.

"Hey Dad," I greeted Charlie as he came into the room. He looked exhausted and his eyes were red. I got up from the couch and went to give him a hug.

"Hey Bells."

"How's Sue?" I asked him.

He sighed heavily. "She's hanging in there. Just trying to be strong for the kids. Seth took it pretty hard. Leah…well, you know what she's like," he said, glancing at Jacob. "I stayed until they got all the paperwork sorted out and made sure they got home okay."

"I'm so sorry Dad," I said.

"He was a good guy, Harry. I'm gonna miss him."

"We all will," said Jacob as he got to his feet.

I slipped out of the room to check on the casserole while Charlie and Jake talked about Harry. A few minutes later I called them into the kitchen for dinner.

We were silent as we ate. My throat was still raw from the saltwater and I didn't feel like talking much anyway. After we finished, I began to clean up while Charlie checked the score of a basketball game. Jacob grabbed a dishtowel and dried whiled I washed. After I put the last stack of dishes back in the cabinet, I turned to find him watching me, his face guarded.

"What's wrong?" I said, my voice still raspy.

"I should probably get going. Sam wants us all to meet up tonight." He didn't seem too excited by the prospect of a pack meeting.

"Do you need me to drive you home?"

"Nah, I'm not going home." He gave a small smile. "We've got to meet in the woods; standard procedure."

"Are you sure I can't give you a ride somewhere?"

"Jared and Embry are going to pick me up," he said, raising his voice so it would carry to the living room. I knew better than to think that Jared and Embry meeting Jacob would involve a car.

"Okay," I sighed, admitting defeat.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said, leaning down to wrap me in his arms. Then he breathed into my ear, "I love you."

I was glad he whispered that part. I wasn't sure if I was ready to explain that one to Charlie. I replied by kissing him quickly. He grinned back, his face relieved of all the stress he had been carrying for the last few weeks. For that moment, he was my Jacob.

"Get some rest," he said as he moved towards the door. "See you later, Charlie."

"Bye, Jake," called Charlie.

I headed for the stairs, fully intending to get started on that rest after a nice warm shower. I still smelled a little salty.

"Bella?"

Charlie was leaning forward in his chair, halfway to standing.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You and Jake," he said, his face creasing like he didn't quite understand something. "You kids getting serious?"

I flinched at the s-word. "I don't know if I'd say serious. We just like to spend a lot of time together. Being around Jacob…I don't know. I guess he makes me feel better."

"Well that's good, Bells," said Charlie. "Jake's a good kid and I'm glad you two get along so well."

"Yeah," I said, climbing the first few stairs. "Me too."


	5. Alice: Secret

ALICE- Secret

'_ …'_

Hiding things from Edward was incredibly tiring. I had been less than thrilled when he had taken a break from tracking in South America to visit Esme for her birthday. As much fun as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in seventeen languages was, I had better things to be doing with my time. Like making sure Victoria wasn't planning a revenge visit to Forks.

Edward watched me from the other side of the room, his expression puzzled. He knew I was keeping something from him. He probably knew it was about Bella. Jasper sat between us, my defense mechanism to keep Edward calm and too passive to be curious enough to demand an explanation for my behavior. But I knew Jasper couldn't hold him off forever, and eventually Edward would corner me and figure it out. I could only hope I was wrong in my assumptions.

We had escaped up to our room. I sat propped up against the headboard, my eyes shut and my fingers to my temples. I was trying to maintain my focus. Jasper lay with his head in my lap. I knew Edward would give us privacy while we were in our room and stay out of our thoughts. But we could only stay here so long without offending Esme and making Edward suspicious.

Jasper didn't fully know what was going on. Of course he was perceptive to my motives, so he knew it had something to do with Bella. But I couldn't fill him in, not with Edward here. It wouldn't be fair to him to make him control his thoughts the same way I had to. I was mad enough at myself for going to Charlie's house and seeing Bella. I was relieved she was alive, but I would have preferred not to know about the boy. I didn't like keeping secrets from my family, especially Jasper.

"When will you be able to tell me?" he said quietly.

"Whenever Edward leaves."

"Do you know when that will be?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking hard. I watched Edward move through the house, spending a long time in his room, staring at his CD collection. Then he went out to the garage to stare at the Volvo for a while. Finally, in a day and a half, he would speak to Carlisle and leave.

"About thirty-six hours," I said, opening my eyes to look down at Jasper.

"I think I can make it until then," he said. His lips turned up at the corners.

"Yes, but can I?"

Jasper reached a hand up and traced his fingers down my jaw. He titled my face down to look at him. "You can do this, Alice," he said softly. His golden eyes were intense as he spoke.

I sighed deeply. "Thanks, Jas. And I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said, turning away to stare up at the ceiling. "Carlisle is getting anxious. He knows something is wrong."

"I know, I know. God, why did Edward have to pick today to visit?"

"He'll leave soon," replied Jasper. I could feel him working at my nerves and I gradually began to relax.

"I owe you big."

Jasper smirked. "I'll be sure to remember that."


	6. Jacob: Wolf Like Me

JACOB- Wolf Like Me

I caught up with Jared and Embry on the edge of the woods a few miles from town.

'_Hey, bro, what's up?'_ Embry's thoughts echoed in my head.

'_Hey guys. Any idea what Sam wants_?'

'_Probably just wants to run border patrol,' _Jared replied.

'_Sure, sure.'_ I surged forward, enjoying the feel of adrenaline surging through my body.

'_Whoa, dude, what's up with you_?'

'_What, can't take a challenge?'_ I taunted, speeding up. Behind me, Embry kicked up the pace and sprinted after me, Jared on his tail.

'_Later, slowpokes_,' I thought, charging full speed into the forest.

A few miles in, Sam's voice interrupted our chorus of taunts. '_Meet us in the clearing by the cliffs_.'

'_On our way_,' I replied. I put on another surge and within a few minutes caught up to Sam and Paul.

'_What's going on?'_ asked Embry.

'_We lost the female's trail when she went into the water,'_ said Sam._ 'We just ran the perimeter of the beach and didn't find anything. It looks like she has backed off for now.'_

'_Yeah, but for how long?'_ I replied. Now that I knew what she was after, I hated the thought of that bloodsucker being within a hundred miles of Bella. Or on the same continent.

'_Probably not for long,'_ said Sam. _'We should continue to search the woods in case there's a trail that we missed, or if she comes back. We can't allow her to get into the area._'

'_Sounds good,_ said Paul. _'I would love to tear apart another vamp._'

I growled with approval.

'_We need to be vigilant,_' said Sam,_ 'and we need to stick together. We'll take shifts, but no one makes a move without backup. We can take her down as a pack, but if she gets one of us alone, there's little chance he could beat her.'_

'_I'll take the first shift,_' I said. I still felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins and was eager to run off some of my excess energy.

'_I'll go with you,_' said Embry.

'_Good. Then Paul, Jared, and I will take over at sunrise. We'll take turns phasing in case you need to contact us.'_

The others turned back to the woods and took off in the direction of La Push. Embry and I began on the half-circle of cliffs that surrounded the beach. Gradually we moved out into the woods.

'_So_,' said Embry after awhile. _'Are you going to tell me what happened, or do I have to use your thoughts to figure it out?'_

'_What's left to tell?'_

'_Uh, how about what drugs you used to get her to kiss you?_'

I snapped playfully at him and he growled in response.

'_Really, man. Are you going to tie yourself down to one girl? What about the ladies?'_

'_What would you know about the ladies?'_ I replied.

'_Ha ha. But seriously, did you, you know, like…imprint?'_

I had to think about that. From what Sam had described of the process, it was supposed to be like the most powerful force that we could ever experience. I was attracted to Bella, I loved Bella, but I had never had anything like Sam's description of imprinting with her.

'_I guess not,'_ I replied. _'But it's supposed to be really rare for us, right?'_

'_Yeah,'_ agreed Embry. '_Sam said it doesn't happen to everyone.'_

If it didn't happen to all of us, then it wouldn't happen to me. I loved Bella and I would do anything to protect her. I didn't need some life-changing voodoo encounter to figure that out.

'_Race you to the clearing,'_ I challenged Embry.

'_You're on man.'_

We sprinted towards a gap in the trees, neck-and-neck.

'_I'm gonna beat you,' _taunted Embry.

I laughed a short bark and picked up the pace, easily flying past Embry. _'Nice try, dude. How does it taste to eat my dust?'_


	7. Bella: You Got Me All Wrong

BELLA- You Got Me All Wrong

I made more of an effort that week at school than I ever had. I sat with Angela and Jess at lunches and listened to everyone's conversations. It was nice to have something else to focus on besides the thoughts that kept bouncing around in my head. It seemed as though the days flew by and before I knew it, it was Thursday evening.

After I made dinner, I wrapped myself in a blanket and started in on my homework. I was halfway through an essay on Coleridge when there was a knock on my door.

"What is it, Dad?" I called, expecting Charlie to ask me where the batteries were again.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Jacob edging around the door. He smiled hesitantly. "Mind if I come in?"

I shook my head and he plopped down on the bed beside me. "Hey," he said again.

"Hey. Does Charlie know you're here?"

"Duh, Bells, how do you think I got in? Through the window?"

I felt the familiar sharp pain in my chest and my breath caught in my throat.

Jacob noticed immediately and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Wow, Bella. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Figures I would talk before I think and not the other way around."

I nodded, my arms automatically wrapping around my body.

"Hey, Bells, c'mon. Don't do that. I'm sorry," he grabbed my arms and unwound them, holding my hands in his big warm ones. "I'm really, really sorry."

"No, it's okay," I said weakly. "Really."

Jacob's forehead was creased with worry as he continued to gauge my reaction. I looked up at him, trying to rearrange my face to look passive; I knew I was failing miserably.

Suddenly Jacob wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. I snuggled against his chest, burrowing myself in his warm embrace. His hand stroked my hair gently.

"I missed you these past few days," he said softly.

"I missed you, too."

He sighed softly. "Can we just stay like this forever?"

_No_.

The word popped into my head before I could think and it startled me. It wasn't true; I didn't really believe that. Of course we could be happy forever. Unless one of us wasn't really happy.

I tried to push that thought from my head. Of course I was happy when I was with Jacob. My chest throbbed dully as though to remind me. I was mostly happy when I was with Jacob.

I couldn't lie to myself. I was only happy because I was trying to be someone else. I was trying to be someone new, someone who hadn't lived through everything I had. I was like an amnesiac, like the Bella who had just come to Forks and met her old friend Jacob and all the normal kids at Forks High, and no one else. And that Bella's life was completely normal: she went to school, came home and cooked dinner, did her homework and hung out with her boyfriend. So what if her boyfriend happened to spend most of his time running around as wolf? She still loved him.

But that Bella didn't carry any scars with her, and I did. I might as well have been covered in third degree burns. Jacob could accept me as I was, but could I? Could I keep on pretending everything was okay because I cared so deeply about Jacob and he cared so deeply about me? Could that be enough to make up for everything that had happened?

Jacob placed two fingers under my chin and tilted my face towards his. His lips met mine and he kissed me so gently and tenderly that I couldn't help but to kiss him back.

I didn't know if it could ever be enough, but I could try. It was the best I could do.


	8. Alice: Beauty of Uncertainty

ALICE- Beauty of Uncertainty

I stood at the bedroom window looking down at the driveway. Edward was giving Esme one last hug before getting into his car. I had barely been able to say good-bye before fleeing to our room. The thirty-six hours had taken their toll on me and I was ready to lose my mind.

Edward pulled open his car door but before he climbed in his eyes, dark with hunger, flashed up at my window. I was ready and focused intently on the image of a brick wall, giving Edward the message to stay out of my head. He frowned and started up the car.

Once he was out of sight I remained still, listening for him to turn onto the highway. As soon as he was out of earshot, I threw myself out of the room and down the hall.

"Carlisle?" I called, launching into his study.

"Alice. What's the matter?"

"It's Bella."

Carlisle's face froze and he stared at me.

"She's all right but she's…. she—" I trailed off unsure how to explain it all.

Carlisle gave me a reassuring nod.

"She's moved on. She's with a boy from the reservation."

"What do you mean by 'with'?"

"He saved her when I saw her jump off the cliff, she wasn't trying to kill herself, she was just jumping, for fun, only you know Bella, fun usually equals a trip to the emergency room, and he must have jumped in after her—"

"Alice," said Carlisle, holding up a hand. "Please, slow down."

I nodded and continued. "He drove her home and that's when I got there, I could smell him as soon as I got off the highway. They were sitting in her truck and then they…" I trailed off, my eyes falling to the floor.

Carlisle was silent for a few minutes while I continued to stare at the floor. I was suddenly aware of the fact that there was no other noise in the house; everyone must have been listening.

"Alice, does Edward know about Bella and the boy?"

I shook my head. "He didn't see it, but he knew something was wrong."

Carlisle nodded. "I do not think it would be wise, at this time, to tell Edward. Perhaps a little later, when we are more certain of the future, but for now it is best that he does not know."

I nodded and turned for the door, eager to go fill Jasper in on everything.

"Oh, and Alice, one more thing."

I turned back to Carlisle. "What is it?"

"What do you see lies ahead for Bella?"

"I haven't tried to see," I replied.

But now that the question had been posed, I would have a hard time trying not to.


	9. Jacob: Middle Distance Runner

JACOB- Middle Distance Runner

I felt like such a creep standing outside her house in the middle of the night. But I really wanted to see her.

I knew where the spare key was and slipped in silently, sure to lock the door behind me. I ghosted up the stairs and paused on the landing to make sure Charlie was still snoring. Then I went into her room.

She was curled up under a quilt, her hair splayed out on the pillow behind her head. I knelt on the floor next to the bed and couldn't help but to reach out and stroke her face.

Her eyes fluttered open and for one gut-wrenching moment she looked terrified. But she let out a sigh and her face relaxed.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry, please don't think I'm some weird stalker or something."

She smiled and I felt my worries melt away. "Of course I don't think that," she said. "Actually, I'm glad you're here."

"Oh really?" I said with a wicked grin.

"Yeah, I'm freezing." She shifted over in the bed so I could climb in next to her. Then she curled up next to me, her head resting on my chest.

"Hey Bells?" I said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy?"

She didn't answer at first, and after a few minutes I got nervous, afraid that I had jinxed it and just ripped open that hole she said she had in her heart. But finally she answered.

"I feel safe," she said. "And I'm healthy. Everyone I love is well. I have every reason to be happy."

"But you're not?" I asked quietly.

She sighed. "I'm trying…but I'm not there yet."

"Bella," I said, turning onto my side so that I could see her, "I would do anything to make you happy."

"I know," she said with a small smile.

"Look, Bells, I know that this seems like it's the…the end of the world or whatever, but it isn't. It really isn't, and it could be…I don't know, just a bump in the road." I knew I sounded like a total cheese ball but I really didn't care. "You don't have to hurt forever, Bella."

She nodded, staring up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt forever," she whispered.

"Not if I can help it."

She reached up and pulled my face to hers and kissed me. I kissed her back like I could somehow fulfill my promise with that one kiss. I didn't know if it could ever be enough but I could try. It was the best I could do.


	10. Bella: Daydream in Blue

BELLA- Daydream in Blue

I don't know how it happened but one minute I was lying on my bed next to Jacob and the next I was in the meadow with the sun shining on my face and the warm grass tickling my arms.

I sat up, looking around at the familiar clearing in the middle of the forest. The meadow was in full bloom and wildflowers coated the ground. Their colors seemed so much brighter then they had the last time I had been here. I reached for one nearby and plucked it to get a closer look.

It was a lily, but not the kind I had seen around Washington. It was bright fuchsia shot through with yellow; it looked exotic. I held it to my nose and breathed in its rich, foreign scent. Now that I looked around, the rest of the flowers were strange, huge blooms of bright and vibrant hues. The meadow was the same as it had been before, but the flowers were unfamiliar.

There was a rustling at the edge of the clearing and I turned to see a shadowy figure moving through the trees. I slowly got to my feet, trying to decide whether or not to run. But before I could choose, the figure disappeared completely. I stood frozen amongst the exotic flowers for a few minutes, trying to decide if I had imagined the shadows. And then I turned around and there he was.

I had never seen Edward look like that. His skin seemed to shimmer in the sun, different then it had been the first time he took me to the meadow when it had sparkled like diamonds; now it shined like silk. His skin was still the same beautiful shade of porcelain, but there was color in his face now. His eyes were the most dazzling shade of topaz.

"Hello, Bella," he said.

"Ed—Edward," I stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you happy to see me, Bella?"

I stared into that familiar face that I had traced so many times in my daydreams, the glorious face that had once made me so happy.

"Of course I am, but…but I thought you were in Alaska?"

"I came back, Bella." He took a step towards me, his eyes fixed to mine. "I came back for you."

And as I stared into his face, it seemed to change. The familiar lines of his eyes, the laid-back ease of his smile, suddenly seemed bizarre and twisted. His smile turned into a leer and he took another step towards me. Instinctively I took a step back.

"What's the matter, Bella? Didn't you want me to come back?"

It suddenly seemed very difficult to draw a breath.

"Of course I did Edward, but…" I couldn't comprehend what about him had changed but it was as though he had shifted from the man I knew and loved to a predator I should fear.

"Bella," he whispered, reaching a gleaming hand out towards me. "I've missed you."

I was frozen now, like a deer in headlights, trapped in the gaze of those beautiful golden eyes. I had no choice but to surrender. I took his hand.

"Come, Bella," he said. He led me a little ways through the flowers and we sat down amongst them, still staring into each other's eyes.

Edward reached up a hand and stroked the side of my face; I relished the touch.

"Do you know what I missed the most about you?" he said quietly.

I shook my head.

He lay down on his side and I moved with him. I lay on my back in the warm grass, staring up into his beautiful eyes. He leaned towards me and brushed his lips over my collarbone, inhaling deeply.

"I missed the way your blood smells," he whispered against my skin.

Somewhere inside my head I knew I should be afraid. I knew I should try to get away, do anything I could to get myself out. But part me also knew that was impossible. And so I lay trapped in Edward's gaze as he slowly sank his teeth into my throat.

I sat up, gasping for breath, my hands flying to my throat.

"What's wrong?" said Jacob, awake immediately.

I leapt, having forgotten he was there. His eyes darted around the room and, having made sure everything was all right, turned his gaze back to me.

"What happened?" he said.

"It was—it was just a dream," I said, still trying to catch my breath. I felt a wave of calm wash over me as Jacob ran his big warm hand soothingly over my back. I knew I was safe now. "I'm fine."

Jacob nodded and leaned back into the pillows, looking exhausted but relieved. I lay down next to him, comforted by his presence. But when I closed my eyes, all I could see were those shining topaz eyes as Edward drank my blood.


	11. Edward: The Black Light

EDWARD- The Black Light

I threw aside the jaguar and it fell to the ground like a rag doll. I wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of my mouth, not feeling nearly sated enough. Nothing was ever enough.

I leapt from the tree and landed squarely on my feet. Had I been human, the landing would have shattered my legs. As I was, it was disappointing that such a great jump caused me no pain; it might have helped me snap out of my wallowing. Instead all I felt was tension in my legs, a desire to move. So I ran. I emerged from the thick rainforest onto a huge rock overhand looking out onto the ocean and watched as the sky burned crimson.

The sunsets in Forks had been a somewhat rare thing, what with the sun being hidden by clouds and succumbing to darkness without much show, and I was surprised to realize how much I had missed it. After Forks, I followed a trail into South America. When I realized it was false, I had fled with anger as far south as I could to a tiny island in Tierra del Fuego called Isla Noir. There, food had been scarce and people scarcer. It had been perfect. But after feeding off of penguins and sea lions I had been slowly drifting north in search of bigger game. Now I was somewhere in the Amazon and while I spent most of my days in the thick forests, it felt good to find open space and see the sky and smell the ocean.

As I sat on the rocks and watched the waves crashing a hundred feet below, my mind wandered back to Denali and the look on Alice's face whenever I had been able to catch her eye. As if her reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in German, Korean, and Swahili at the top of her thoughts whenever she saw me wasn't enough, I could tell by her avoidance of me that something was wrong. Alice had never kept a secret from me before—in fact, she often had told me more than I had wanted to know. But we had a different relationship than with the others because we would always know what the other was going to do…that's why it was impossible for the two of us to play chess. So it felt strange to know that Alice was keeping something from me.

I knew there was only one thing it could be about.

At this thought, I instinctively flipped a switch in my mind to halt my thoughts. I wasn't going to go down that road now. I had already wasted too much time lost in my reveries. In the back of my mind, I could figure out what Alice's secret had to do with, but I wasn't ready yet to form those words. I wasn't ready yet to think about what I had left behind.

So instead, I turned on my heel and ran back into the rain forest, letting myself be consumed by the shadows, the humid air, the descending night, until the last shreds of humanity fell away and I was pure spirit, moving through the jungle like a ghost. It was the closest I could get to freedom.


	12. Alice: Be Quiet and Drive Far Away

ALICE- Be Quiet and Drive Far Away

I couldn't sit still. I was completely overcome by the desire to get out of my own head. So I had secluded myself to our room and was pacing back and forth restlessly. I couldn't remember when I had started, and I couldn't figure out how to stop.

Jasper had gone hunting in the mountains with Rosalie and Emmett. He was my last defense between sanity and the madness that had now engulfed me. I couldn't bother Carlisle with it anymore; he had enough on his mind as it was. Esme couldn't know; it would break her heart to think that there was so much turmoil because of our family. So instead, I took it out on her carpet.

I was refusing to let myself see anything. I didn't want to think about Bella, or Edward, or even Jasper. I didn't want to know what was going to happen anymore. I had sung every song I knew, gone for a run in the woods, and even banged away at Edward's piano for a while, but nothing had much of a lasting effect. Now I had run out of things to do, and I felt myself getting dangerously close to the edge.

Suddenly I caught the sound of distant footsteps moving through the woods, crunching lightly on the new layer of snow. I counted the pairs: three. Three sets of footsteps in the woods, coming from the north. Jasper was back from the hunt.

I rocketed out of the room and plummeted down the stairs. I launched myself out of the front door, leaving Esme dumbstruck in my wake, and was at the end of the driveway when he emerged from the woods. He registered my panic-stricken face and within seconds was by my side. I folded myself into his arms and felt a soothing wave of energy wash over me.

"Alice," he whispered into my hair, a trace of fear in his voice, "what's wrong?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, as though it would make the visions disappear. It didn't work. "Just make it all go away," I mumbled into his shoulder.

I heard him sigh and then felt myself being lifted from the ground. He carried me back to the house and set me down on the couch. When I opened my eyes, Carlisle was peering down at me, a concerned look etched on his face.

"What's happening, Alice?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I'm trying not to see."

"How?" asked Esme as she appeared at Carlisle's shoulder.

I shook my head. "I was trying not to think about Bella, or Edward, but some things get through."

"Do you know where Edward is?" said Carlisle.

"The last time I saw him, he was somewhere in Venezuela. He's been slowly moving north for a while now."

Carlisle nodded. "What about Bella?"

Those were the visions I was trying the hardest not to see. "She's still with the boy," I replied. "She's…happy."

I knew that if Edward ever saw what I had, it would destroy him.

"Isn't there anything we can do to stop the visions?" said Jasper.

"I'm afraid not," said Carlisle. "Suppressing the visions could be harmful to you, Alice. I know that you don't want to hurt Edward, but there's nothing that you can do."

I had known that before, but hearing Carlisle say it somehow made it so much worse.

I hung my head in defeat. Jasper sat down beside me and wrapped me in his arms again, his soothing energy calming me.

"Just make it stop," I whispered again.

And as my panic began to fade, I felt Jasper nod with a silent promise to do what he could to make it stop.


	13. Jacob: One Headlight

JACOB- One Headlight

I woke up when the sunlight pouring in through a crack in the curtains finally hit my face. I gave a huge yawn and stretched out, listening with a grimace to the cracking in my back. I had stumbled into bed sometime around dawn after patrolling all night with Quil and Paul. Fortunately, there had been no sign of the bloodsucker and we traded posts with Jared, Sam, and Embry without much discussion. I had galloped home, waved a quick hi to Billy, and passed out.

I flailed my arm towards the nightstand and managed to knock half the contents onto the floor before I found the alarm clock and squinted down at the time. It was quarter to one. With a groan, I rolled out of bed and schlepped into the kitchen to hunt down some breakfast.

Billy had left a note on the tiny kitchen table:

_Went fishing down at the creek with Charlie, back later. Don't wait up._

I knew he was kidding about that last part; there wasn't a chance in hell that I would ever go to bed before Billy.

Once I had devoured a full box of frozen waffles and half a bag of chips, I pushed open the window and stuck my head out, taking a big lungful of the fresh air. Rain wasn't too far off, but it would stay sunny for at least a couple more hours. I grabbed the phone and punched in the familiar number.

"Hey Bells," I said as soon as she picked up. "Wanna go for a drive?"

"Sure you can handle it?"

An hour later, Bella and I were on our bikes on an abandoned road, ready to ride. I had started my bike up and was about to kick off when I caught a glance at Bella wobbling around on the pavement. She grumbled something at me that sounded like "shut up," but I only grinned back at her.

"I'll drive if you want," I said, patting the spot at the back of the bike where a few inches of my seat were still unoccupied. She scowled at me and attempted to start the bike up again, but after a minute or two she dropped it and stomped over to me.

"Move up," she said, nudging my shoulder with her elbow.

"Where do you want me to go?" I said, playfully nudging her back. "Come here," I said, pulling her in for a quick kiss before sitting her on the back of the seat. She wrapped her arms around my waist tightly and the bike roared to life. Soon we were speeding down the road, the cool breeze whipping our hair back. I could feel Bella's arms around my waist and she leaned her head against my shoulder to shield her face from the wind. We wove through the woods, past gurgling streams and around sharp curves until we broke free of the trees and emerged on a cliff high above the ocean. A hundred feet below us the waves broke against the rocks with a salty spray.

I drove a little further along the cliff until we came to a small clearing between the road and the edge of the cliff. I stopped the bike and hopped off, but before Bella could get down I scooped her up and spun her around in a big circle.

"What was that for?" she said when I put her down, but she was smiling.

"Oh, nothing," I said with a big goofy smirk of my own. I plopped down on a soft spot of grass and tipped my face back to enjoy the last of the warm sun.

Bella sat down beside me and looked out at the ocean. I snuck a glance at her and was relieved to see that, for once, she didn't look miserable. I found her hand and wrapped it in one of my own.

We sat silent like that for a while, just listening to the waves and warming in the sun. After a while, Bella laid down next to me. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her soft, pale skin. She was like a bird, so small and delicate, so easy to startle. And I had to protect her. But sometimes I just felt like the wolf at the back door, scratching to get in when everyone wants you to go away.

So I was surprised when Bella sighed and leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder. I stroked her dark hair, just glad to be there on the cliff with her. I didn't dare hope for more.

Imagine my surprise when she tilted her face up and kissed me.

If Bella felt fragile just lying still, she felt incredibly breakable when she was in my arms. I felt like every move I made would shatter her. That wasn't right; I was supposed to be the one to protect her from everything dangerous. But wasn't I dangerous too?

With every ounce of willpower I had, I pulled away from her.

"What's wrong?" she said, and I could tell by the way her face fell that she thought she had done something wrong.

"Nothing," I said. "You didn't do anything. It's just…Bella, don't you ever…I don't know, wish for more?"

She looked confused.

"More than me?" I clarified.

"Oh," she said, and her faced smoothed over. "Oh, Jacob."

I flinched unintentionally, afraid to know what would come next.

"Of course not," she said.

I looked at her sideways, unsure if I had heard her right.

She sighed and gave me a small smile. "Jacob, you are my best friend. I love you. How could I wish for more?"

"Right, I'm your best friend and you love me, but you're not _in_ love with me."

I could tell by the look on her face that I was right. Even though I really didn't want to be.

"Jacob…"

"No, Bella, don't," I said, sitting up. "Just don't." I really didn't want her pity. "Is it ever going to be enough?" I said quietly. "Will I? Will anybody?"

"Jacob…"

"I'm out of line, I know, but I just hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing you an inch from comatose just because some guy…because…" I really couldn't bring myself to say it and cause her more pain.

"Jacob, shut up."

I knew I had done it then.

Bella was sitting up now, but instead of the anger or sorrow I expected to see on her face, she was smirking. And then I realized she must have completely snapped.

"You can be really thick sometimes, you know that?" she said.

"What?" I said stupidly.

She had risen up on her knees and was only a few inches away from me. I opened my mouth, probably to say something stupid, but she held up a finger to stop me. Then, slowly, she leaned forward and kissed me.

If she wasn't going crazy, then I certainly was. When she pulled away after a minute or two, I could only stare blankly at her.

"Jacob, I could never love anyone like I love you."

I continued to stare blankly.

"No one. Ever," she repeated.

Blank stare.

She kissed me again.

Well, I guess I could live with that.

**A/N: We've reached the halfway mark. Will things keep getting better for Jella, or worse? Keep reading…**


	14. Edward: Carnivores Unite

EDWARD- Carnivores Unite

I finally came to a stop on a hill overlooking a small farming town somewhere in northern Mexico. I was only a few hours from Phoenix.

There was some sort of party in the town; all the lights were off but for one house. I could hear many voices, laughing and talking, and the distant strains of music. I would be able to slip through the town unnoticed. I had begun to climb down the slope, easily jumping from rock ledges and outcrops, when I heard a growl behind me. The rock ledge I stood on led back into a cave in the hill. A pair of yellow eyes flickered in the shadows and an enormous jaguar emerged into the moonlight. His tail flicked quickly from side to side.

I stood my ground. It was rare to see a jaguar so far north. The natives here still held them in high esteem. The cat sniffed the air and watched me, as though he couldn't quite figure out what I was. He let out a low huff and leapt gracefully to a nearby outcropping. Then he gave me a last, fleeting look before disappearing onto another ledge. In a matter of minutes I had scaled the hill and skirted around the edge of the town. All that lay ahead of me now where foothills into the sand dunes of the desert that stretched to the border.

As I ran, I watched the sun rise over the Mexican wasteland. I knew eventually I would have to find a place to hide and wait until sunset to cross the border, but I enjoyed watching the pale streaks of light in the sky gradually brighten and send waves of heat shimmering up off the dunes. At the edge of Naco, a small border town, I found an abandoned barn to wait in until the sun went down. After that, I would be in Arizona. It would be a long walk from there to Denali but, after all, I had all the time in the world.

I had to know Alice's secret. I didn't realize how much it would bother me until I was back in Brazil and alone with my thoughts, which quickly raged out of control and the possibilities grew more and more outlandish. After months of restraint, my self-control was weakening. To test myself, I would run back to Denali, although it would be much faster to drive. I would travel through the deserts of Arizona and Nevada, then up into Oregon and Washington. I would loop out and around Spokane to ensure that I stayed far away from Forks. From there, I would go along the coast of British Columbia and into Alaska. And I wouldn't let Alice know I was coming. I would keep my thoughts focused on Brazil, remembering how I hunted in the thick rainforest far away from civilization. When I showed up, she would have no choice but to let me in.

At dusk, I jumped from my hiding spot in the hayloft of the barn and made my way to the border crossing. I merely flashed my forged passport and was allowed to cross onto American soil. In a few miles, I would reach a highway that would travel west for a ways before curving north to Phoenix. In the darkness, I could follow the road and be there in an hour. Now that I was back in America, I felt reinvigorated. When I began to run, it was with a feeling that was not quite joy, but nevertheless something I had not felt in a long time. I would be in Alaska soon.


	15. Bella: Make This Go On Forever

BELLA- Make This Go On Forever

When I woke up, I kept my eyes closed. I lay still, listening to the sound of water flowing in the distance. I felt protected and safe, as though someone was watching over me. I couldn't remember where I was or how I got there. The last few hours before sleep were a fog.

I felt a slight movement beside me and for the first time registered the pressure against my shoulder and the weight across my waist that meant someone was lying next to me. That must have been why I felt safe. And then I realized that I hadn't felt so safe in a long time, not since…

Since when? That was a memory lost in the fog, too. A vague figure swam through my mind, but I couldn't see clearly enough to make out a face. I felt a pulling in my memory, like there was something to remember, but I couldn't quite reach it. The thought sent a flutter through my stomach, as though my heart had skipped a beat. Weird.

Then I managed to grab hold of a memory in which I was blissfully happy. That was something else I hadn't felt in a while. And there was that pulling feeling again, like there was something important just out of my grasp. But what was it? I focused on the happy memory again, willing myself to remember more.

In the memory, I was in Forks, meaning it must be pretty recent, within the last year and a half. I was at home, but not alone. Was Charlie there? No, that wasn't it. It was someone else, the reason I was happy. But who?

Edward. His painfully beautiful face emerged from the fog in my mind and I remembered clearly the day at home. Edward had driven me home from school and we were in the living room waiting for Charlie to come home. I was reading a book for school and Edward was completely content to sit and watch me. And that moment, as uneventful as it was, was utter bliss.

The body next to mine moved again. Was it Edward shifting to get more comfortable? That was strange; he could usually sit still as a statue for hours without so much as blinking. But the body next to mine had definitely moved. And it was very warm. Edward was never that warm. I realized the steady thumping sound that I hadn't noticed until now was a heartbeat. Edward didn't have one of those.

My eyes snapped open. I was lying in my bed at home and the rain was beating down against the roof and windows. I turned my head slightly to see Jacob sleeping beside me. And then the memory hit me like a ton of bricks, threatening to rip the hole in my heart wide open. Instinctively, I crawled out of bed and curled up on the floor, bringing my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around them. I sat tensed and waiting for the pain to hit me, for the overwhelming sensation of loss that had consumed me for so many months. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, but I must have let out a whimper.

Then Jacob was beside me and there was pressure on my shoulders as I felt myself being moved. I heard whispered words that I didn't understand and felt what seemed like a gentle breeze pushing the hair back from my face. I realized that my whole body was shaking.

In my head, I was still so focused on the memory of Edward that I could barely comprehend what was going on around me. Instead, I tried to focus on Jacob. He was saying something, rapid whispered words over and over in a soothing voice. It was his hands that had brushed away my hair and were now moving in slow circles over my back. I tried to listen to his words.

"It's okay, Bella. I'm here; you're not alone. I'm here, Bella. Come back, Bells, come back."

He was saying it over and over again, as though he didn't even realize what he was saying but was using whatever he could to calm me down.

"I'm here, Bella. You're not alone."

Of course I wasn't. I knew Jacob would never, could never, leave me to be swallowed up by darkness.

"It's all right, Bella, everything is going to be okay."

I think I already knew that, somehow. As soon as I realized Jacob was there, I knew things wouldn't be as bad as they had been in the past. Because Jacob wouldn't let them be.

"I'm here Bella, I'm here. I love you."

He was there. He would never leave me to shatter into a thousand pieces. He would never let me believe he loved me and then take it all away. Because he really did love me, more than anyone else could.

"I love you, Bella."

And I loved him. I knew, now, that I really did love Jacob, my Jacob, and even though it was different than anything I had ever felt before it was love, just as strong and just as real. My body had stopped shaking and I relaxed out of the fetal position I had been in since I had fallen out of bed.

"I love you, Jacob."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me to his chest, so close I knew he would never let go, not really.

"I would never leave you, Bella."

"I know."

I raised my head to look at him and as my eyes met his I realized that the pain that had been a constant in my life for so long had not come. The hole in my heart had not been ripped open.

"Please don't leave me again, Bells," said Jacob softly.

"I won't."

And, somehow, this time I believed it.


	16. Alice: Apocalypse Please

ALICE- Apocalypse Please

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.

That was not happening. Or, if it was, I did not need to see it.

I wished I never had to see Bella again. Because I could never see Edward again. I could never look him in the eye while he saw in my thoughts that Bella was healed and completely and irrevocably in love with someone else. I could not be responsible for what that would do to him.

Because as much as he pretended, I knew that Edward would never stop loving Bella.

I sat up and looked out over the frozen forests of Denali. I was perched on the roof, trying to save myself from a headache and save the others from having to put up with me, constantly flinching or groaning every time I saw something. But, of course, as soon as I had closed my eyes, a flood of images had poured down on me, including one of Bella smiling in such a way that said she had moved on. It was obvious how happy she was.

It was just one more thing to add to the already lengthy list of things to hide from Edward.

Below me, Jasper stuck his head out of our open bedroom window.

"Can we expect you to come inside any time today?" he asked.

Well, I had been on the roof for two days.

"You'll catch your death out there," he teased.

I climbed through the open window and dropped onto the unmade bed. Jasper settled beside me and passed me a book. My new attempt to silence my thoughts was to read every volume in Carlisle's extensive library.

I had never before wished so hard that my mind had an on-off switch.

I opened the cover of the book Jasper had given me and read the title. It was the first volume of _The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_. It would keep me occupied for an hour or two.

A few chapters into the heavy volume, I heard quick footsteps below and pieces of a quiet conversation between Carlisle and Esme. I tuned them out, not wanting to intrude on their privacy. But then I heard Rosalie join in, louder than the others.

"Why would he do that?" she was saying.

"I don't know," replied Carlisle. "I'm afraid I don't know the reason behind his actions anymore."

Rosalie gave an irritated sigh. "Like he has a reason," she said bitterly, and I heard her walk away.

I glanced at Jasper, who looked puzzled. I knew they weren't talking about him, and I had never heard Rosalie talk about Emmett like that. It could only be one other person. Edward.

I couldn't imagine what he had done, but was eager to know. Not wanting to eavesdrop anymore, but my curiosity getting the better of me, I hurried out into the hall and started down the stairs. I was a few steps from the bottom when Rosalie pulled open the front door. There on the threshold stood Edward.

I heard a small 'oh' escape my lips and felt the sensation in my stomach like I had skipped the last steps. Before I could even react, I saw Edward's face darken as he stepped into the house. I knew the damage was done.

Oh no.


	17. Edward: This Night

EDWARD- This Night

Alice refused to look at me. She sat silently on the couch, conveniently positioned between Jasper and Esme. Carlisle and Emmett were both standing silent sentries nearby.

"I think you're better off without the human, if you ask me," said Rosalie. She was lounging in an armchair by the fireplace and seemed to be the only one not bothered by my recent revelation.

Alice's eyes shot a reproachful glare at Rosalie before quickly darting back to stare at her hands folded in her lap.

If I felt the need to breathe, I would have sighed heavily. Instead, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. My eyes saw the plain white plaster, but in my mind I replayed everything Alice had told me, accompanied by the images I had seen in her mind.

The first parts were the most difficult to watch. Although she had come to Alaska with the others, Alice's thoughts had often strayed to Bella and shown her reaction to my leaving. There were images of her walking down the halls of the school, staring blankly ahead as though not really seeing what was in front of her, and others, equally disturbing, of her waking up screaming in the middle of the night. There were several times that I saw Bella wrap her arms tightly around herself, as though she were afraid that she would completely fall apart if she didn't hold herself together. But then she began to change, slowly. She woke up screaming less and began to talk to her friends at school. And I could see why. More and more of her days were spent with Jacob Black. At the beginning of the memories he had the young round face of a boy but later memories showed him much taller with sharper lines to his face. There was something off about him, but I couldn't quite place it.

And then came the worst memory, one of Bella and the boy together, both happy…

I didn't need to see any more. I stood up and walked away from Alice, although it had little effect on the thoughts. I should have known…or perhaps I did know, but wasn't willing to admit what would happen after I had left. This was what I wanted to happen. I had told Bella to move on with her life. But that didn't make it any easier to see.

I hadn't accounted for Alice's fondness of Bella and the likelihood that she would see her future. My plan had been to make a clean break when I cut myself out of Bella's life. Now she was happy, and I would have to live with it.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

I turned to see Alice looking hesitantly up at me from the couch. Beside her, Jasper was staring at me, the same words running over and over in his head: _stay calm_.

I turned back to the window, not wanting to look at them as they waited for me to explode. Instead, I watched the snow falling outside. A few moments later, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Edward." Esme had come to stand beside me and was looking up at me with a concerned expression.

"It's all right," I said, taking her hand. "I'm fine."

"Edward, we all love you very much," she said. "We are here for you, no matter what happens."

I forced my lips into a smile. "Thank you."

Esme smiled back at me and retreated to stand with Carlisle. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and hear their thoughts as they waited. They visibly tense as I took a step forward to speak.

"It's all right," I said again. "I knew that my leaving would mean that things would change in Forks. It's only fair that Bella has moved on." I flinched as I remembered the sound of her screams. "I only wish that she had been able to do it sooner."

"Well," said Rosalie, getting out of her chair, "that's a relief. Will you be staying here now, or skulking back to Honduras, or wherever you were?"

"Edward," said Carlisle, ignoring Rosalie. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, Carlisle," I replied. "It's time I moved on, too."

From the corner, Rosalie scoffed with disbelief. Alice shot her a dirty look.

"Well, if that's the case," said Carlisle, "I think that we've intruded on our hosts' hospitality for long enough."

"Where will we go?" asked Alice.

"We thought that the East coast might be a nice change of scenery," said Esme.

"Unless anyone has any objections to that?" said Carlisle.

The others shook their heads.

"Edward?"

"No," I replied. "There's just one place I'd like to go before we leave."


	18. Jacob: Cross Bones Style

JACOB- Cross Bones Style

The next few weeks were amazing. It was like Bella was her old self, the Bella who used to visit Charlie every summer. The Bella who moved to Forks and never met any bloodsuckers.

We hadn't caught any trails of the female leech and, hoping that she had finally given up, Sam cut back on the number of patrols we ran. With my time freed up, I spent most of it with Bella. I would meet her after school and, when it wasn't pouring rain, we would drive along the cliffs above the ocean. Then we would go to Charlie's house, where Bella usually made dinner for us. Sometimes we could get Billy to come, and we would sit around the table talking and laughing about the drunken old man that Charlie had to put in the lockup for the night or Billy's impression of Charlie fishing. Then Bella would do her homework and I would watch basketball with Charlie. We were a regular Brady Bunch.

Then Charlie would go up to bed and Bella and I would make a show of me pretending to leave, complete with loud good-byes and door slamming. But really I would just follow her silently upstairs and we would fall asleep together in her bed.

After two weeks this was our routine.

One night I had joined Bella and Charlie for dinner but had to leave early to run patrols with Sam. Bella offered to give me a ride to the edge of town and as we drove in contented silence, I looked out the windows, knowing that soon I would be running through those trees, my senses on full alert as I hunted for vampires. I thought about how, not that long ago, Bella had asked me why I couldn't just stop changing. Of course, at the time she had thought I was the one killing innocent campers while they tried to make smores. And for a while I had wished that I could stop phasing so I could still get angry without worrying about ripping my friends and family to shreds. And I could do without the whole 'pack-can-read-your-thoughts' thing, too.

But phasing was starting to have its advantages. For one thing, I would be able to protect Bella if the redheaded vamp ever made her move, whereas when I was a gangly fifteen year old, I probably would've broken a hand at even the thought of punching someone. For another, I was now a match for Cullen, if he ever showed his face back in Forks. Maybe last year he might have been able to crush me with two fingers, but now I knew I could rip him apart if I wanted.

So it was the bloodsuckers' fault that I had to phase, and I would really enjoy sinking my teeth into them if I were given the chance.

Of course, running around in the woods as a big hairy wolf was a lot less fun than hanging out with my girlfriend.

"Is this good?" asked Bella.

I looked up and realized that the engine had stopped. She had pulled off to the side of the highway about a mile outside of Forks, where the woods came right up to the road.

"This is perfect," I replied. I pushed open my door and hopped out onto the grass, enjoying the feel of the late spring sun on my skin. No sooner had I shut the truck door than a huge grey wolf emerged from the woods and sat down in the middle of the road, its head tilted sideways as it stared at us.

"That's my cue," I said as I went around the side of the truck and leaned in the open window.

"Have fun," said Bella.

I ducked in and kissed her quickly before pulling my head out of the truck and heading out into the road.

"Oh, hey, do me a favor?" I called as the engine roared to life.

"What?" she replied.

I bent down, tugged off my sneakers, and lobbed them into the bed of the truck. Bella rolled her eyes and shifted into gear.

"Thanks!" I yelled as she pulled a U-turn and drove away.

I waited until she was out of sight before I phased, not wanting her to see what a giant freak of nature I was any more than she had to.

_That was heartwarming_, said Quil as I shook out my fur.

_What's with the jealousy? Green's not your color, man._

Quil laughed a short, loud bark. _What do I have to be jealous of? She's just biding her time before she dumps you for me._

_In your dreams_, I shot back.

_You guys are cute when you argue,_ cut in Paul, _but if you don't mind, we're all waiting._

_Don't get your panties in a twist_, replied Quil. We sprinted into the woods and caught up to the others within a few minutes.

_So here's the deal,_ said Sam. _We haven't had any fresh leads in while, but that doesn't mean we should stop looking. I want us to start at Forks and work our way out until we reach the end of the peninsula. If we come up empty-handed, we'll cut back patrols to the town limits from now on. But be careful—the police are still looking for bears._

_Charlie Swan said they've cut back, _I added,_ since there haven't been any attacks lately._

_Good,_ replied Sam. _Then we can focus on finding a trail._

After that we split up, each of us heading in a different direction away from Forks. I took the western path that would lead right up to the cliffs. If they didn't find anything, the others would circle around and we would all meet up there.

It was dark by the time I got there, and the moon was shining down on the waves. Ironically, it was full. I lay down on a patch of grass to wait. One by one the others came out of the woods and sat beside me. Sam was the last to arrive, having taken the eastern path.

"No leads, then," he said after he phased back to his human form.

We all shook our heads.

"I say we celebrate."

"How?" asked Paul.

Sam grinned and walked backwards towards the woods. About twenty feet back he stopped and stood still. We waited quietly for him to move.

Suddenly he ran full out towards the cliff and jumped into the air. He somersaulted a few times and broke into a perfect dive just in time to hit the water.

Paul whooped gleefully and jumped in after him.

I laughed and tried to imagine what Bella would say if she knew we were cliff diving. Then I remembered that she would probably think it was a good idea and I launched myself off the cliff, spinning freely through the night air for a few seconds before plunging into the waves below.


	19. Edward: 505

EDWARD- 505

It was possibly the worst idea I'd ever had. There was a good chance I would regret my choice for as long as I lived. And I wasn't the only one who was skeptical about my decision. As I hunted in the woods outside Denali, I had a hard time forgetting the expressions on my family's faces when I had told them.

"You want to go _where_?" Rosalie had said.

"Edward," said Carlisle, "are you sure that is a good idea?"

I nodded. "I need to go back one more time before we leave."

"But wasn't the whole plan for you to cut yourself out of her life completely," said Rosalie, "not just for a few months and then show up unannounced?"

"I don't plan on showing up unannounced," I replied.

"So you'll just give her a quick phone call, 'Oh, by the way, I'll be in town for the weekend, let's do lunch'?"

"No. I thought a letter might be a good way to warn her."

Rosalie sighed exasperatedly and slumped back in her chair, giving up on me.

"What will you say in this letter, Edward?" asked Carlisle.

"I was hoping someone else would be willing to write it for me." I glanced at Alice out of the corner of my eye.

She had been passively watching our conversation until then, but when she caught me glancing at her, she spoke up immediately.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You can't ask me to do that. I mean, what…what would I say?"

"I need to apologize to her for what I've done, and she deserves to be warned before I just show up in Forks. It would be best if the warning came from someone she still trusts. You know how much she cares about you, Alice."

"But…but…why can't you just apologize in a letter?"

"It would be better in person," I answered. "It's what she deserves."

Alice sighed and leaned back against the couch, her eyes closed. We all watched her silently for several minutes.

"All right," she said softly. "I'll warn her."

"Thank you, Alice." I turned to Carlisle. "I know this doesn't seem like the best idea now, but it's something I ought to do before we go. I didn't explain myself well enough, and that isn't fair to Bella. She deserves better than that."

Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder. "We will stand beside you in whatever choices you make, Edward. That is what a family does."

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the morning's conversation as I tracked a herd of deer through the woods. I had already analyzed it to the point of exhaustion. Obviously Rosalie was critical, but I knew she wasn't the only one. She was just the first one to voice her opinions. The truth was clear in the others' thoughts.

It didn't matter. My mind had made itself up before my conscience could have a say. I would go back to Forks one last time to give Bella the explanation I should have given her months ago. Then I would leave forever.

There was no doubt in my mind that having to say goodbye to Bella for the second time would be even more painful than the first. But my hope was that it would only be painful for me and not at all for her. It was possible that we could both come out of this scathed but still breathing and on the way to healing. Bella had already moved on; maybe, someday, I could too. As long as I knew that I hadn't wounded her for good.


	20. Alice: Down The Line

ALICE- Down the Line

_Dear Bella, _

_I'm sorry Edward broke your heart into a million pieces and left you so wounded that you couldn't sleep for months without…_

_Dear Bella,_

_I hope you and your new boyfriend are doing well; Edward has been sulking up and down the country for…_

_Dear Bella,_

_How's the weather in Forks? _

I crumpled another sheet of paper in frustration. I had no idea how to begin a letter to Bella telling her that the vampires she had tried so hard to forget would be stopping by Forks for a quick visit. It was a shame they didn't make a greeting card for that.

I didn't know what Edward wanted me to say. There was no magic sentence that would explain what was going on and make it seem logical. There was no logical explanation for what Edward was doing.

I smoothed out a fresh sheet of paper and thought hard about what to say. I tried to think of Bella as just my friend, forgetting Edward for the moment.

_Dear Bella,_

_I hope this letter finds you and your family well. _

_I'm sure you must be surprised to be hearing from me, especially after so long. I am sorry for that; I thought it would be best, for both of us, if we didn't speak for a while. _

_Bella, there is no easy way for me to tell you this. You must be hurt, and you must have questions, and you deserve answers. So I'm writing to tell you that we will be coming back to Forks, just for one day. Edward would like to speak to you in person and he has asked me to write to you to give you fair warning. We both thought it would better for the warning to come from someone you trust…if you can still trust me. _

_Two weeks from this date, Edward will wait for you in the meadow at 6 pm. It is your choice whether or not you will meet him there. If you choose not to, we will leave Forks quietly and not bother you again. _

_Take care of yourself, Bella. _

_-Alice_

I reread the note, still feeling frustrated at how random I knew it would sound to Bella. It would have to do. I folded the paper and stuffed it into an envelope. As I wrote out Bella's address on the front, I realized that as difficult as it had been to write a warning note to Bella, it would be so much harder for Edward to explain himself. And there was the possibility that she wouldn't even show up, in which case he would have to just swallow his apologies and live with his guilt.

The thought of living with a guilt-laden Edward for the next few centuries was not appealing.

There were too many flaws in Edward's plan for it to work. Either he would get hurt, or Bella would, or maybe both of them. I didn't understand how this goodbye would be any different than the first one. I hadn't had any clear visions about the aftermath yet, probably because Edward still hadn't decided what to say, and Bella didn't know about it yet. But I did feel uneasy about it and the fact that it was leaving a big blank spot in my path. For the first time in a while, I felt frustrated with not being able to see.

The door opened and Jasper came into the room.

"How's the letter writing coming along?" he asked.

I held up the sealed envelope in response. He smiled.

"That was fast. It only took you—" he looked down at the crumpled balls of paper surrounding me "—sixty tries."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, I have to mail this before Edward can change his mind."

"Is that likely?" said Jasper.

I shut my eyes, thinking hard about Edward's future. "Probably not. Right now, he still plans to go to Forks."

"Good," he replied. "We can trade snow for rain."

"Just wait 'til we get to the east coast," I said, laughing. "We'll get both at the same time."


	21. Bella: Letters From the Sky

BELLA- Letters From the Sky

Jacob and I were sitting on the couch when we heard the familiar sound of tires on the driveway. The engine cut off, a door slammed shut, and a few seconds later the back door swung in, revealing a haggard looking Charlie.

"Hey, kids," he called as he hung up his belt and kicked off his boots.

"Hey, Dad," I called back. He disappeared and I heard him open the refrigerator, no doubt looking for a cold beer. Sure enough, there was the sound of a bottle cap being removed a few seconds later. He walked back across the kitchen and shifted through an old stack of newspapers on the table.

"Something in the mail for you, Bells," he called.

I stuffed a page of notes into the book I had been reading for English and went into the kitchen. A square white envelope was waiting for me on the table. I picked it up and examined the writing. There was something familiar about the neat, slanted letters, but there was no return address.

I ripped open the envelope and tugged out the note inside. As I unfolded the paper, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent, but I couldn't remember where I knew it from.

I read the note once, and then a second time, before it slipped from my hand and I stood frozen on the spot, staring blankly down at the seemingly harmless piece of paper.

"What is it?" said Jacob, swooping to my side in an instant. He stooped to grab the note and scanned it quickly. His face darkened as he read.

"No," he said quietly. The paper crumpled in his clenched fist.

Charlie, who seemed oblivious to the whole thing, padded out of the room and plopped into his chair. The TV clicked on and began announcing the score from last night's game.

"No," said Jacob again.

And while all this was happening, my mind had gone numb. Only one thought seemed to be repeating itself over and over again: _he's coming back_.

"Here." Jacob pulled out a chair and pushed me into it. My knees bent of their own will; my mind didn't seem to have any control.

"Hey," said Jacob from what seemed to be a great distance. "Hey, Bella." He turned my face towards his and peered at me with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"

With what seemed like a great effort, I nodded. That movement seemed to shift something inside me, and I began to feel normal again. "I'm fine," I replied.

"Are you sure?" said Jacob, still worried.

"Yes," I said. "I was just… surprised."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Surprised?"

"Yeah."

"But now…?"

"I'm fine," I said again.

Jacob stared at me for a few seconds before clapping his hand to my forehead.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I said, trying to pull him off me.

"Do you have a fever or something?" he said, ignoring my feeble tugs on his arm.

"No, Jacob, I'm fine," I said, squirming away from him. "Let go of me."

He dropped his hand but continued to watch me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yes. Why don't you believe me?" I huffed.

"Because, well… I guess I was expecting you to—I don't know, freak out or something. Or do that thing you used to do, when you wrapped your arms around yourself like you would fall apart if you didn't."

He was right, of course. I should be curled up in a little ball on the floor right now. But I wasn't. I really had just been surprised.

"I don't know," I said. "I guess…I guess I'm over it."

That night, after Jacob had pretended to leave but had really just snuck up to my room, I lay awake, unable to fall asleep even so long after Jacob had. Instead, I thought about Edward.

We were going back to the place it had all started, really, the place where it had turned from friendship to…something else. It was one of the few places where we had been able to be ourselves. So somehow it seemed appropriate that the meadow was the place where it would all end.

I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see Edward. I had dreamed about him, heard his voice in my thoughts, but I knew that the more timed that passed, the more blurred the lines of his face became. Having to see him standing in front of me would bring back all the memories: the good ones, when we had spent so much time together, and the bad ones, when he had left me crumpled and broken on the forest floor.

I remembered the dream I had a few weeks ago, when Edward had fed on me in the meadow. It hadn't really been our meadow, but some twisted alternate reality. It was strange that he was coming back and would meet me in the meadow, just as he had in the dream. And in the dream, I had known how dangerous Edward was but hadn't been able to tear myself away from him. For the first time since reading Alice's note, I felt scared. Scared, because I knew Edward's potential to hurt me not only physically but also emotionally…again. He had already hurt me so much, but when I saw him again, would I fall right back into his trap?

Jacob stirred beside me. I glanced to see if he had woken up, but his eyes were still closed.

No. Suddenly I knew the answer. I wouldn't fall back into Edward's trap. Because as much pain as he had caused me, I was still here. It had felt like my world was going to end when Edward left, but it hadn't.

Because I had Jacob.


	22. Jacob: Jealous Enemies

JACOB- Jealous Enemies

It was a good thing that I had run so many patrols lately; otherwise, I would have never been able to fall asleep.

But even once I did, my brain tortured me with pictures of Edward and Bella.

This was the one scenario I had never considered: that Cullen would actually come back. At least, I had never really considered it. The thought had always been at the back of my mind like a little gremlin I usually ignored that got to come out now and say 'told you so.'

But who would have thought of it? I mean, what kind of person does that to someone and then comes back to see them a couple months later? He should be ashamed to show his face. What could he possibly say that could make up for what he did?

Knowing the Cullen's, he could probably come up with something.

And that was the thought that turned all my dreams to nightmares.

I slept hard, without waking up, but I was chased by the images of reunited Edward and Bella. In one, I was a small wolf pup lost in the meadow that Bella had tried to find, the one where she would meet Cullen. As I wandered around the tall grass, sniffing for familiar scents and looking for the trail back home, I felt like I was being watched. But whenever I looked over my shoulder, the meadow was empty. I walked around the edge of the meadow, looking into the dark forest but too scared to actually go in, when a twig snapped above me. I looked up to see Edward Cullen perched on a branch ten feet above my fuzzy little head. He leapt from the tree and landed like a cat on the ground in front of me. A twisted smirk overtook his face as he straightened up.

I took a few steps back and a pitiful little growl escaped my throat. I stood there on the edge of the meadow, hackles raised, caught in a staring match with Edward Cullen.

I heard another loud snap as something else rustled in the trees overhead; I couldn't tear my eyes away from the smirk on Cullen's face to see what it was.

But I didn't have to. A second later, Bella landed gracefully on the ground next to him. At least, I thought it was Bella. She was the same height, with the same long hair and the same pale skin, but as she turned to look at me, her face was different. What had been smooth curves of her face were now sharp lines and her brown eyes had turned a violent shade of red. Her smile that used to be gentle and cautious was now a leer. She stood next to Cullen and looked out at me like an animal watches its prey.

The worst was when I tried to open my mouth to speak and found that no words would come out.

Bella and Edward laughed at me, their voices echoing like crows around the meadow. I cowered in front of them, knowing that I couldn't outrun them and was too small to defend myself. I watched, horrified, as Edward took Bella in his arms and kissed her fiercely. A thin trickle of blood ran down the corner of her mouth as I howled pitifully into the closing darkness.

My eyes snapped open and I found myself looking up at Bella's bedroom ceiling. The sun was shining brightly through a gap in the curtains. I could hear the shower running down the hall. I ran a hand over my eyes, trying to rid myself of that last horrible picture from the dream.

I knew I was being stupid. Bella wasn't some damsel in distress that would go running back to Cullen, no questions asked. She could think for herself and tended to stick to her guns…sometimes to my frustration.

The door opened and Bella came into the room. She had pulled back her hair and her skin glowed in the morning sun. Her eyes were the same deep brown that I knew so well.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi. Did you sleep?"

She nodded. "Do you have to meet up with the guys today?"

"Yeah," I said, glancing at the clock. It was almost eight o'clock. "Sam wants us to run a full lap of the area today."

"C'mon, I'll drop you off on my way to school."

I followed her downstairs and watched as she stuffed her books into her bag and dug her jacket out of a pile of laundry. I must have looked weird because when she turned around and saw me watching her, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said, quickly looking away. I grabbed a section of the paper that Charlie had left on the table and scanned the sports news.

"Jacob," said Bella. I could practically hear her roll her eyes.

I jumped to my feet and grabbed her bag. "C'mon," I said, "you're gonna be late for school! I can't have you ruining you're perfect attendance just for me."

I stomped over to the door and pulled it open, my fake irritation way over the top. "Let's go, Swan!" I barked.

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Move it, Black. I got things to do, people to see."

I tossed her the keys to the truck and followed her outside. "Now you're talking." I strode ahead of her and opened her door for her.

"Why thank you," she said, hopping in the cab.

"Don't get used to it, Swan." I went around the other side of the truck and climbed in. Before Bella could start the engine, I ducked down and kissed her quickly. Bella laughed and started up the truck. As we pulled out onto the road, I knew there was no way she would ever become the monster I had seen in my dream.


	23. Bella: Lonelily

BELLA- Lonelily

I wanted to drive out by myself. I wanted to get a grip and pull myself together. I had managed to collect all the shattered little pieces of myself over the past months with Jacob's help; I couldn't let that all go to waste now.

Jacob had refused point-blank to let me go alone. "No way, Bella. You can't be with that leech by yourself."

"I'll be fine, Jacob."

"It's not you I'm worried about. I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not," I said calmly, keeping my eyes on the road. "Besides, if you did come, how do I know you won't lose your temper?"

"So what? The world would be filled with one less vampire."

"What if you hurt me?"

I could tell I hit home. His jaw dropped and his face flushed as he stuttered to cover. "I—I wouldn't---I couldn't ever…. Bells, I wouldn't…"

"You don't know that," I replied. "Either way, I'm not going to let you take the risk."

He slumped back in his seat, defeated. But a few seconds later he shot forward again, his face alight.

"The guys will go," he said eagerly. "They won't get angry, and they'll phase before the leech gets there."

"No, Jacob."

'C'mon, Bella, you can't go alone. I won't let him hurt you."

"He won't hurt me," I said.

"Right, 'cause he's never done it before," Jacob muttered.

I ignored him as I pulled the truck off the highway.

"What if we just waited in the woods," he said, trying again, "and that way if anything happened, we would be nearby."

"Nothing is going to happen, Jacob. And that would be a total invasion of my privacy."

"Why do you need to privacy to talk to the soulless bloodsucker who completely—"

"Jacob, stop," I said, cutting him off.

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Bella. You're right. I'm just worried, you know?"

I nodded. "I know you are. But I promise you, everything will be okay."

"Yeah," he mumbled, "if you say so."

Eventually we had reached a compromise. Sam and Jared, the two most even-tempered members of the pack and the two least likely to rip Edward's head off for no reason, would wait nearby in the woods while I talked to Edward. My conditions were that they stay out of sight and just within earshot.

Out of everything I had imagined saying to Edward if I ever saw him again, I was now most worried about how to explain the two teenage werewolves watching us from the forest.

I glanced at the clock on the dashboard as I pulled up in front of Billy's house. I had about two hours to get to the meadow. I had already stowed my map in my jacket pocket.

"I'll wait here for you," said Jacob, reminding me for the tenth time.

"I know," I replied, trying not to roll my eyes. "I'll come straight here after I leave the meadow."

"Embry will call me if anything happens."

"Nothing is going to happen, Jake." I gave him a reassuring smile that he didn't return. I kissed him quickly before he got out of the truck.

I started up the engine and shifted into reverse when there was a tap on my window. I rolled it down and looked at Jacob, puzzled.

"Hey," he said, reaching for my hand through the open window. "I love you, Bella. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, Jacob." I looked up into his dark eyes and was surprised to find them gazing back at me with such a pleading look.

"I love you, too, Jake," I said.

He pulled my hand towards him and kissed the back of it softly before letting go. And then he was gone.

I drove out to the woods slowly, remembering the first time I had come here with Edward, and then trying to find it again once he had left. It had been one of the ways I had tried to hold onto him instead of dealing with the fact that he had really gone. For so long, the only thing I had wanted was for him to come back so that I could feel whole again. I hadn't realized until so much later that I didn't need him to feel that way. I had managed to pull myself out the dark abyss that had threatened to swallow me, and despite the pain I had felt, I was still alive. I had once thought that I wouldn't survive without Edward in my life, but my life had continued without him.

I pulled my truck off to the side of the road and cut the engine. I would have to walk the rest of the way, but I had managed to find it once before; I would be able to find it again. The path seemed familiar now, and I remembered where certain landmarks like fallen trees and small streams were. It was still light out in the way that the sun seemed to get brighter just before it set and the woods wasn't yet full of shadows. I hoped I would be able to make it back to the truck before it got too dark.

And all these things I thought about as I walked through the woods so I wouldn't have to think about what I would say when I saw Edward.

I hadn't even been able to say his name for months after he left. Now I could think, speak, sleep without feeling as though I would fall apart if I stopped holding myself together. Now I knew I could be happy without him.

I hadn't been worried. The few days leading up to this, even the drive over, I had felt perfectly calm. But now I was beginning to doubt myself. I still didn't know what Edward could possibly have to say to me, and for a while I had been able to keep it out of my mind. But as I drew closer to what I knew was the meadow, I began to worry.

I stumbled over a log and caught myself on a nearby tree. I stopped and looked around, taking in a deep breath. The air had changed, like it was opening up. I spotted a familiar looking cluster of ferns and looked through a group of trees in front of me. I could just see an expanse of green grass through their trunks. I stepped forward into the bright sunlight.

This was it: this was the meadow. I had found my way back to it. And so had he.

"Hello, Bella."


	24. Edward: Porcelain

EDWARD- Porcelain

"Edward."

A rush of images flooded my brain as I remembered all the time we had spent together. It was more painful than I had expected.

She stood before me, just on the edge of the clearing. She looked as pale and fragile as I remembered, but there was something different about the expression on her face.

"I didn't think you would come," I said.

"I didn't think you would come back," she replied.

I stared at her, trying to figure out what she was feeling and wishing so hard that I could hear her thoughts. She stood still, her posture relaxed, her face expectant, waiting for me to speak.

I was about to speak when I caught a scent on the wind, hideous and familiar.

"You brought friends," I said quietly, looking back into the trees where I could just make out the shape of two wolves sitting still and waiting patiently.

Bella's face reddened slightly. "Yeah. They won't hurt you if you don't hurt me."

I nodded. "I know."

We fell into silence, and I tried not to think about how amazing and excruciating it was to be in her presence again.

"Thank you," I said after a while.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"For coming. You don't owe me anything, but you came anyway. And I appreciate that, because I owe you everything."

I tried very hard not to think about the images Alice had showed me as I chose my next words.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you, Bella." Unable to look at her anymore, I looked out across the meadow as I spoke. "I was hoping that by leaving I would be able to protect you from any more pain than what I had already caused you. I can see now that I was wrong. I should have explained myself better, but…I was worried you wouldn't listen."

I looked back at her face in time to see her shock register there.

"You…you lied to me?" she said so quietly that I would have had trouble hearing her if I were human. I closed my eyes, angry that I was causing even more pain.

"Yes."

"You didn't…but why…you said that…you didn't want me."

"I said what I had to, Bella."

"Why would you do that?" she said, her voice rising.

"I needed you to let go. I had to make you believe so that you wouldn't come after me."

Her eyes widened in shock. "So you lied to me?"

I nodded.

"That is the most…you are so…. this is…" she stammered, her feet carrying her back and forth over a worn patch of grass. "You are so stubborn!" she cried suddenly.

It was my turn to be surprised. "What?"

"Stubborn! I can't believe this. You were so unwilling to compromise on your own unwavering morality that you left me so you wouldn't have to! Because you knew I wouldn't want to stay human, and you knew I would find a way to change, if I had to go to Alice or Carlisle to do it. But you couldn't live with the guilt, and you left me so you wouldn't have to!"

I was shocked by her conclusion. "Bella, no. I left because I wasn't good for you, I only brought you pain and harm, and I didn't want you to have to go through any more for my sake."

"Pain happens, Edward," said Bella. "It's a part of life. Something would have happened to hurt me, whether or not it was your fault. I think we can both agree that I'm pretty accident prone."

"Then I would have only brought you more. I thought that by removing myself from the equation you could go on living your life, the way things were supposed to be."

"You broke my heart, Edward."

At her words, I felt as though an icy knife had been plunged into my own heart. All I could see were the scenes Alice had showed me of Bella waking up in the middle of the night, screaming…

"When you left," said Bella, "you left a hole, an empty void that nothing could fill for the longest time. I had to rebuild myself. I don't understand…you wanted to save me from pain, but you caused so much of it."

"But you did rebuild yourself, Bella," I said pleadingly. "You're still here."

"In spite of you, Edward."

I knew I was defeated. She was right, I had done just as much damage as I had hoped to avoid. Of course she was right.

"It's him, isn't it?" I asked after a few quiet minutes.

She nodded. "How much did Alice see?"

"She saw everything. I didn't realize how attached she was to you, or that she would be watching out for you. I didn't know until a few weeks ago; she tried to hide it from me."

"So you saw everything, too?"

"Yes," I replied. "He's good for you. He loves you."

Bella nodded.

"He would never hurt you," I added.

"No, he wouldn't," she answered.

She had told me more than I had ever expected to get. But somehow, I still had to know one more thing. One part of me wanted to just be quiet at walk away, but another part of me knew that I could never rest until I knew the answer.

"Do you love him?"

Bella raised her eyes to meet mine. Her face was open now, calm and at peace. I knew whatever her answer was would be the truth.

"Yes."

I nodded and tore my eyes away from her perfect face and the light that had come to her eyes when she answered.

"I've graduated college six times, so I know that there are no words to describe what you deserve. But I know it is better than what I gave you. I am so sorry that I hurt you, and I hope that some day you'll be able to forgive me, or at least understand my actions, as foolish as they were."

"I think I already do," she said, watching me in a way that made my heart ache. I wanted to cross the short space between us and wrap her in my arms. "I don't believe that you meant to hurt me, Edward. But you should know that you did."

"I won't let myself forget it," I replied.

"Don't," she said pleadingly. "Don't torture yourself forever. After all," she added with a small smile, "you have to live with yourself for a very long time."

"You'll be happy with him," I said, remembering the images Alice had showed me of Bella and Jacob together.

"Yes," said Bella. "And some day you'll be happy, too, Edward."

I would have to take her word for it.

"Take care of yourself, Bella. I was wrong to think you needed someone to protect you all the time. You're stronger than you know."

"And you're not as evil as you think you are," she replied.

I sighed and looked into the woods where I could just see the two wolves waiting patiently. "Wolves back in Forks," I said with a disbelieving shake of my head.

Bella nodded.

I smiled. "You really are a magnet for danger."

Her face broke into a smile so beautiful it would have broken my heart—if I had one. "Good-bye, Edward," she said, turning away from me and towards the woods, Forks, Jacob—the life she would go on to live.

"Good-bye, Bella."


	25. Jacob: I Can Feel A Hot One

JACOB- I Can Feel a Hot One

This was taking too long. She should be back by now. What was taking so long?

What if the bloodsucker had done something to her? What if he hurt her?

I would kill him, that's what.

I felt a wave of anger wash over me and send a tremor down my spine. I closed my eyes, trying to focus.

The first thing that came to my mind was Bella.

My anger quickly shifted to fear. I had spent the whole night before imaging Bella coming back from the meadow to tell me that she was leaving, she was going back to Cullen, that she had forgiven him for everything he had done. I remembered how Bella had said she felt like a hole had been ripped in her chest—if she left, I didn't think I would be able to feel anything.

And she seemed so calm before she left. I didn't understand that. She wasn't afraid, so…maybe she was happy to see him?

I groaned. I was outside the house, pacing the overgrown grass. I hadn't had a chance to mow it lately, but my feet were wearing it down into flat, circular tracts. At least I was accomplishing something.

Inside, the telephone rang. I froze mid-pace, tensed and waiting for the worst. Embry had said he would call if anything went wrong in the meadow. Then I heard the sound of Billy's deep laugh. He wouldn't laugh if something had happened to Bella. He must be talking to Charlie.

Temporarily relieved, I went back to pacing, a constant stream of worries running through my head. This was too much. I felt like my heart was going to explode.

She was going to pick him.

Why not? He had all the qualities you would look for in the undead. That, and Bella was a total masochist. So she would take him back, and he would destroy her all over again. And I would be left to pick up the pieces. Again.

How could she do this to herself? Was she really so blind that she couldn't see she deserved so much better? Even if she didn't want me, she couldn't want him. She couldn't want someone who would just leave her like that.

I felt like I was going to be the one to fall apart. I sank to my knees and looked up at the cloudy sky. If there was a god, this would be a really great time for him to do me a favor. I would really like if Bella could come back.

She said she loved me. Maybe she just wasn't in love with me.

I pressed my palms into my eyes, trying to get rid of the pictures in my head where Bella went back to Edward.

In the distance I heard the rumbling of truck engine. It was probably just my imagination, torturing me by reminding me that I would never go for drives with Bella again. The rumbling grew louder. I kept my hands on my eyes, trying to make the noise stop.

It grew louder and louder until I thought it would run me over, when suddenly it stopped. I heard a car door close and then two heavy thuds. I didn't have the courage to look up.

"Jacob."

My mind was torturing me again, reminding me how beautiful Bella's voice sounded.

I felt a soft touch on my hands. "Jacob."

Slowly I lowered my hands. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. When the black circles finally stopped dancing through my vision, I could see a figure standing over me, and two more behind it.

"Jacob."

"Bella?"

"Are you all right?"

"You came back." I jumped to my feet, surprising Bella, and scooped her up into my arms. I spun her around in a circle, grinning like an idiot. "You came back!"

"Jacob…what?"

I set her down on her feet, still grinning. "You came back."

Bella looked up at me, puzzled. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I—I didn't know what to think. You were just so calm about the whole thing, I thought that maybe you wanted…" I felt so stupid for worrying now that she was back. "I thought maybe you wanted him back."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Jacob, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times…I love _you_."

I grinned down at her for a minute before wrapping her tightly in my arms.

"Jake," she gasped against my shoulder. "Can't…breathe…"

I loosened my grip and as I did, I realized it was Sam and Jared that had stood behind Bella.

"We hitched a ride back once we made sure everything was okay," said Sam, motioning to the truck's bed with his thumb.

"Thanks, guys," I said over the top of Bella's head. Then I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her like I would never see her again. Sam and Jared tried to ignore us.

"I'm glad to see you, too," she said breathlessly when we finally broke apart. "You were really that worried?"

"I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you," I said. I was in cheese ball mode again, but I was so happy I really didn't care.

Bella shook her head. "He broke my heart, Jacob. But you—you put me back together. You're my best friend, and I know that you would never hurt me. And that's why I love you."

I could definitely live with that.


	26. Bella: Loro

BELLA- Loro

The atmosphere of Forks had changed since I had arrived here. Compared to the warm sunlight of Phoenix, I had found the constant veil of fog and sheets of icy rain dull and depressing. Then someone had come alone and shown me the hidden beauty of the mist riddled shores and the mystery of the deep, green forests. He seemed to know all the secrets of the place, but he had his own secret, a dark truth that would rip us apart. And when I had thought that my pain would destroy me, someone else had come along to pull me from the heaving waves that threatened to tow me under. We had put me back together, making me more whole than I had ever been.

The thought of leaving Forks now seemed like torture.

The truth was that pain is a part of life. Trying to protect someone from it, as noble as that may be, is futile. Hurt is not the end of things; it's just a step along the way. I had been wrong when I thought my world would end because Edward had left me. Though Jacob had been my rock when I needed him and he had given me more help than I could ever repay, I had been the one to pull the pieces together again. I was stronger than anything else. Whatever else might happen to me, this thought would stay with me always.

I had come to terms with the fact that things in my life would never be normal. I lived with my bachelor father while my mother and her baseball-playing husband lived in Florida. I drove an ancient red pickup truck. My boyfriend and his friends ran around the woods as giant wolves, protecting our town from vengeful vampires. No, my life would never be normal. But why would I want it to be?

I pulled my truck over to the side of the highway just as three wolves darted out from the trees and sprinted across the road. A moment later, Jacob followed, hastily pulling an old t-shirt over his head. He smiled when he saw me and raised his arm to wave.

"C'mon," he called and followed the wolves across the road.

I went after him, following the sounds of growling wolves and crashing waves. I could just see Jacob running ahead of me, leaving a trail of flattened ferns and broken branches so I wouldn't trip on anything or scratch myself. He knew me too well.

We broke through the trees where the ground changed from dirt and grass to sand and pebbles. A hundred yards down the beach a group of boys were jostling around the green flames of a driftwood fire. Jacob stood waiting for me, his hand outstretched expectantly. I put my hand in his and we joined the others by the fire.

"Hey, Wolf girl," said someone nearby.

Emily was standing over a large basket next to the fire, a warm smile on her face. I smiled back.

"Welcome to the club," she said as she handed me a thermos of hot chocolate. A marshmallow flew past her head, narrowly missing her ear. Sam stepped forward immediately, his eyes narrowed but a smile playing on his lips.

"You're lucky you missed," she called to Jared, who was in the middle of a marshmallow fight with Embry.

Jacob and I sat down on the old tree where we had once sat before, more than a year ago, when the legends of vampires and werewolves were just old stories that wouldn't follow us home. We watched as green and yellow sparks floated up from the blaze into the darkening sky.

"Have they left yet?"

I sighed. Jacob had been in a ridiculously good mood for the last week, sometimes so excited he couldn't contain himself and had to go for a long run through the woods. But I had known that this question would come eventually, maybe bringing others with it.

"No," I answered, "not yet."

Jacob fidgeted with the torn hem of his t-shirt. He seemed hesitant to speak, as though he thought his questions would suddenly change my mind. "Do you know when—?"

"Soon," I replied. "Alice said they were going to move east."

Jacob nodded, his eyes fixed on a burning log in the fire. I waited quietly for him to speak.

"So," he said finally, "are you ever going to tell me what he said?"

"Do you really want to know?"

He considered it for a long moment. "Yes," he said, "and no."

I smiled. "Maybe the better question is, 'does it really matter?'"

He turned to look at me, his brown eyes searching. "You came back," he said quietly. "And you're here now."

I nodded reassuringly.

"So…no, I guess it doesn't matter."

I sighed in relief.

"But if you ever _want_ to talk about it, you can."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Jacob."

I leaned my head against his shoulder and watched as the last of the pink and orange faded from the sky and the first stars could be seen.

"See that?" said Jacob, pointing to a bright star above us. "That's Sirius—the dog star." He grinned at me. "We're everywhere."

I laughed. "Does this whole werewolf thing include delusions?"

"No, Bella," he said, raising an eyebrow, "I'm serious."

"Yeah, so if I'm here to stay, the bad jokes are going to have to stop."

"Sure, sure."

"No, really Jake. I mean it, I'm—"

"Serious?"

I shook my head, giving up completely.

"Well, you're right about one thing," said Jacob as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. "You're here to stay."


	27. Epilogue Jacob: Inertia Creeps

Epilogue: JACOB- Inertia Creeps

I phased on the fly and ran through the woods like a streak of light.

_Where is it?_

_Not too far from here_, replied Sam.

I put on another burst of speed as I launched myself over a downed tree.

_Where?_ I said again, louder this time.

_Here_. Jared appeared through the trees and ran up alongside us. _This way,_ he said, steering us off to the right.

I caught the smell of something that burned my nose, sharp like the stink of raw alcohol, mixed with a coppery, metallic tint. Vampire.

I'd know the smell anywhere. It only triggered one instinct in me: _hunt_.

I was running so fast now my feet barely touched the ground. Only Sam was fast enough to keep right on my tail, but I could hear the others behind us, their minds all focused on the same thing: _kill_.

I heard a distant rustle of grass and swerved hard to the left, following the trail. Another set of footsteps joined ours as Embry sprinted out of a clump of Evergreens nearby.

_She's there,_ he said, his nose pointed towards a spot to my left. I looked over to see a shape moving through the trees, so fast no human would have been able to see it. The pack turned as one, collectively focusing on the fleeing figure.

_Spread out_, ordered Sam. _This ends now_.

We obeyed instantly, Quil and Jared turning away from us to form the ends of the line. The rest of us drifted away, letting a few hundred feet separate us.

_Cut her off, Jacob,_ said Sam. _You're the only one who can outrun her. The rest of us will be right behind you to finish her off._

I pushed myself forward, willing my legs to move faster. We had caught the other bloodsucker and taken him down without a problem; why should this chick be any different?

Because this chick was after Bella. This leech was twisted, and she wanted to hurt Bella in the worst way. The only way that would happen was over my dead body.

The thought of someone trying to hurt Bella was enough for me. I had to be flying now; my feet were barely touching the forest floor and the dead leaves piled there fluttered weakly behind me. She was so close now and I could see that unnaturally red hair of hers whip around a tree.

_Go Jacob_, the others were saying my head. _Get her. Take her down._

I couldn't think straight enough to form a coherent response; my body was running on pure adrenaline now. It wasn't possible that I was running this fast; I had never even been close to it before. It seemed like my lungs might explode, my legs would fall off, my heart would just stop beating, and my brain would give up on me, saying 'tough luck, stupid' with one last little shrug. But the only thing I could think about was the fact that as long as this vampire was alive, Bella would be in constant danger. Bella, who meant everything to me. Bella, who had come back to life for me. Bella, who loved me.

That was the thought that ran through my head as I leaped forward and sank my teeth into her cold, dead shoulder with the sound of the pack closing in behind us.

**AN:** **Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed; I really appreciate the support. Sequel coming soon.**

**Here's the final playlist for all the chapter titles.**

Chapter One: 'Breathe Me'- Sia

Chapter Two: 'Jesus Christ'- Brand New

Chapter Three: 'Pioneer to the Falls'- Interpol

Chapter Four: 'The World At Large'- Modest Mouse

Chapter Five: 'Secret'- The Pierces

Chapter Six: 'Wolf Like Me'- TV On the Radio

Chapter Seven: 'You Got Me All Wrong'- Dios Malos

Chapter Eight: 'Beauty of Uncertainty'- KT Tunstall

Chapter Nine: 'Middle Distance Runner'- Sea Wolf

Chapter Ten: 'Daydream in Blue'- I Monster

Chapter Eleven: 'The Black Light'- Calexico

Chapter Twelve: 'Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) [Acoustic Version]' Deftones

Chapter Thirteen: 'One Headlight'- The Wallflowers

Chapter Fourteen: 'Carnivores Unite'- Blockhead

Chapter Fifteen: 'Make This Go On Forever'- Snow Patrol

Chapter Sixteen: 'Apocalypse Please'-Muse

Chapter Seventeen: 'This Night'- Black Lab

Chapter Eighteen: 'Cross Bones Style'- Cat Power

Chapter Nineteen: '505'- Arctic Monkeys

Chapter Twenty: 'Down the Line'- Jose Gonzalez

Chapter Twenty-One: 'Letters From the Sky'- Civil Twilight

Chapter Twenty-Two: 'Jealous Enemies'- Dark Captain Light Captain

Chapter Twenty-Three: 'Lonelily'- Damien Rice

Chapter Twenty-Four: 'Porcelain'- Moby

Chapter Twenty-Five: 'I Can Feel A Hot One'- Manchester Orchestra

Chapter Twenty-Six: 'Loro'- Pinback

Epilogue: 'Inertia Creeps'- Massive Attack

_All songs and lyrics are the property of their respective artists and record companies._


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